When Things Impoverish: An Approach to Marx’s Analysis of Capitalism in Conjunction with Heidegger’s Concern over Technology

Abstract

To construct a dialogue between Marx and Heidegger, this essay reads the first volume of Capital together with Heidegger’s writings on technology, contending there is a common concern over the impoverishment of things and, more precisely, of their qualitative consistency that occurs under the sway of capitalism/modern technology. Regarding Marx, the essay argues for reading Capital in an ontological key, thereby placing it in the same philosophical register as Heidegger, and for conceiving it as a description of the impoverishment of beings, the reduction of their being to value. The essay then takes Heidegger’s writings on technology as corresponding to Capital, arguing that modern technology also leads to the same ontological Dürftigkeit. Finally, the essay succinctly sketches what Heidegger’s poietic way out of this situation might be, which in essence coincides with Marx’s position.